First Listen: Woman of Intention by Deap Vally

Deap Vally is at it again, with their new album, Sistrionix, finally dropping in the US last month I cannot stop listening. Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards create a duo full of female power, stories about guys, and doing what they please. Women of Intention allows female fans to connect with empowering lyrics and without having to ditch the fierce distortion and a smutty drum beat that defines rock and roll. Deap Vally encompasses the sounds of classic rock, like their main inspiration, Led Zeppelin, while capturing a female perspective through their personal experiences. Troy and Edwards' message will not be denied and should give every woman the confidence to be strong and independent.

FIDLAR and The Orwells @ Rock and Roll Hotel October 26, 2013

Walking into the Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday night I don’t know if I was quite sure what I was getting myself into. The show was sold out which meant it was going to be crowded and as The Orwells took the stage everyone was already fighting for a spot in the front. I worked my way up front and center for one of the best spots of the show. Starting the set with their classic tune "Mall Rats (La La La)" had fans screaming and belting out the lyrics along with Mario Cuomo (yes, that’s really his name). As always Cuomo captivates the audience with the looks of Robert Plant and a fabulous "F*** you, I'll do what I want" attitude, perfect for getting the young fans riled up. When people were getting kicked out for stage diving and surfing back through the crowd he was upset and made sure to use a few gestures to prove it. After that, going up on stage was encouraged and got everyone going up for their chance to be on stage. Continuing through the set The Orwells played many great songs from their first LP, like "Halloween All Year" and teenage war cry, "Suspended." They also ripped through newer singles like "Who Needs You" and one of my absolute favorites, The Stooges' cover of "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

Covered in sweat, people's carelessly spilled beer and mixed drinks, and with my ears already ringing it was hard to realize The Orwells were not the main band and there was still more to come from FIDLAR. Continuing with the new wave punk attitude, lead singer Zac continued to encourage stage diving and participated in the crowd surfing himself, while still plugging away on the guitar. What better way to start their set than with the FIDLAR anthem, "Cheap Beer." The gritty bass-filled intro got the crowd jumping around and Zac's screaming encouraged everyone to sing along. Throughout the set favorites like "Max Can't Surf" and "No Waves" continued to draw the crowd up to the stage and get a little crazy. One fan even tried to drink from the band's bottle of Jameson. During FIDLAR's last song the Orwells even got back up on stage to join the band showing the camaraderie between them. It was pretty cool to see Mario out in the crowd during FIDLAR's set showing that he is still a true fan of music and isn't better than anyone else, although his band is gaining significant popularity. It is great to see bands who are still about music and not just about the money and the fame. 

Bass Drum of Death and Hanni El Khatib @ Rock and Roll Hotel October 13, 2013

I apologize for how overdue this post is, but midterms got the best of me last week! Last Sunday night I was in serious need of a study break and decided to see an amazing concert at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Bass Drum of Death and Hanni El Khatib made for the perfect blend of rock and roll grit, killer guitar solos, the blues and a lot of noise. My ears were ringing well into Monday.

Bass Drum of Death started the night off right and played two of my favorite songs, "Velvet Itch" and "Get Found." John Barrett sure can play the guitar and belt out the lyrics. The fast paced hooks and fuzzy distortion satisfy any garage rock fan. From the punk anthems like "Such a Bore," to choppy and psychedelic favorites like "Heart Attack Kid" Bass Drum knew how to get the crowd going. By the time the band was almost done with their opening set people were not only paying attention but they were dancing along having a great time. 

After a killer opener, Hanni El Khatib followed up and started his set on the right note with "Head in the Dirt," one of my favorite songs. Towards the end of the set fans went wild when he played the blues-infused song "You Rascal You;" which especially appeals to me because I hear a lot of pre-Brothers and El Camino The Black Keys (when they still stuck to their roots and did not just sound like every other pop-rock band on the radio) sound in this song. Hanni El Khatib's album was actually produced by Dan Auerbach himself which explains a lot of the great sound quality. The final song of the set was "Family," which was perfect to dance to. has great lyrics to sing along with and has some awesome distortion filled guitar riffs.

Overall, this tour was amazing and I highly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to check out their remaining shows (http://hannielkhatib.com/shows/) for an incredible chance to see two bands that provide a gritty and raw musical experience.

Tame Impala and The Flaming Lips @ Merriweather Post Pavilion October 4, 2013

Last Friday night I braved DC rush hour traffic to travel out to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD for one of the most fascinating and visual concerts I have been to. Tame Impala started the night off right playing many of my favorite songs and Kevin Parker enjoyed chatting with the crowd in his great Australian accent. A surge of energy pulsed through the crowd when the psychadelic rockers played "Elephant" and then kept going with my favorite songs by playing "Half Full Glass of Wine." Feet were tapping, heads were bobbing and the crowd was loving it. In addition to the great music Tame Impala's visuals added to the experience because their background screen was full of vibrant colors transcending into different shapes and objects. It was fabulously rehearsed and fit in perfectly to the rhythm of the music making the concert even better than expected!

The Flaming Lips have toured for what seems like forever, but they still create quite a show, creating an artist experience that is uncommon. The crazy lights blasting with color throughout the songs and Wayne Coyne's animated movements makes a Lips' show much more than your average concert. Finally, the band closed with "Do You Realize?" such a meaningful and beautiful song that I couldn't help but sing along with everyone else.
Both bands created so much more than just a concert, but a true musical experience. They are two bands that paired nicely together. I personally do not listen to the Flaming Lips often, but their live show sets them apart from most other bands because they truly create a musical experience that even people who aren't true and dedicated fans can enjoy the show and have a great time. Say what you will, maybe it was bizarre, dark, and a little crazy, but it was also amazing and goes down as one of the best band pairings I have seen together in a long time. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but because of the awesome visuals and the fact that it was an outdoor concert I wasn't able to get any good pictures because they were washed out with light!

Rock and Restaurants Returns to Boston: Dinner Review at Blue Inc.

Last weekend I took a trip home and had the chance to try a new restaurant in Boston, Blue Inc. Jason Santos is the Executive Chef and uses a unique twist of liquid nitrogen for food and drinks to add to his Asian, French and traditional American menu choices. To start I ordered the Purple Potato Gnocchi with stewed turkey, mushroom reduction and black truffle. I love gnocchi and it passed the test because the potato pasta melted right in my mouth. The turkey and stewed sauce was a nice edition and paired well with the pasta and the appetizer portion was just enough before my entree.

For the main course I chose the chef's signature dish, the Honey & Hoisin Glazed Duck Confit with sweet sticky rice, mango, cashews and coconut milk. When I picked the signature dish I knew it had to be good, but WOW! I was thoroughly impressed! Not only was the duck cooked perfectly, but the glaze was just enough to flavor the duck with a sweet taste. Between an appetizer and main course I couldn't bring myself to save enough room for dessert, although I was tempted to try a liquid nitrogen milkshake. Luckily, the Honey & Hoisin Glazed Duck Confit had enough sweetness from the honey and sweet rice to give my sweet tooth the fix it needed. Although next time I may skip the appetizer and choose from the many milkshake flavors (s'mores, the Boston cream Herald, pumpkin pie and almond joy.... need I say more to convince you to try these?) Blue Inc. is located at 131 Broad Street, a convenient location to South Station, Rowes Wharf and the Financial District.

Bayou Brunch Review

I live just blocks from Bayou (located at 2519 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) and have somehow never stopped in. This weekend for brunch I decided that I wanted to test it out. I left Bayou feeling pleasantly full, with a small doggie bag in tow for the next day's breakfast, and without a major dent to my wallet. 

Bayou has a great dining area, in addition to some outdoor seating. My friend and I decided to sit outside since it was a beautiful fall day. Although their brunch menu is on the short side most brunch-fanatics will be pleased with the options. I was torn between the Bananas Foster French Toast and the Breakfast Po' Boy. But ultimately my sweet tooth won and I decided on the french toast at a very reasonable $9.95. I was served four large pieces of toast with plenty of bananas mixed with dark rum and maple syrup. Boy, was it delicious. Luckily my friend ordered the City Park Scramble so I got to try the scrambled eggs and  well-seasoned home fries. 

I will definitely be returning soon to this great New Orleans-themed restaurant for brunch so I can make sure to try that Breakfast Po' Boy. It was so convenient to the Foggy Bottom, West End and Georgetown neighborhoods and charges a very reasonable rate for a delicious brunch!

DC Food Truck Review: Captain Cookie and the Milkman

Last week the Captain Cookie and the Milkman food truck made its return to GW's campus right outside of Gelman Library on H Street. If you are a GW student or spend time in DC I would check out one of their two food trucks because their dessert is not one to miss!

I was adventurous and decided to choose a different cookie sandwich and stray from choosing a classic sandwich of two chocolate chip cookies and chocolate ice cream in the middle. I chose two Snickerdoodle cookies and paired it with the ice cream special Dutch Apple. I am a sucker for anything apple flavored, especially at the start of the fall season. This unique sandwich did not disappoint. I would also like to point out the food truck driver is extremely friendly and ensures a positive customer experience. The great choices of ice cream, cookies and milk is sure to brighten up your day. Also, the cookies always fresh out of the of the oven and sometimes they are still warm.

Check out Captain Cookie and the Milkman at their other location including: L'Enfant Plaza, 13th and K NW, 20th and Virginia NW, and their Wednesday Wildcard locations. In order to see where they are baking follow them on Twitter @captaincookiedc.